Right before the end of the year, Carol Habig had enjoyed her last breakfast at the Green Street Grill in Downingtown with her paintings surrounding her on display.

“It’s been very homely,” Habig said, a botanical illustrator.

After closing hours at the restaurant on Dec. 30, Habig returned to take down her paintings. The artwork was put in storage until she finds an exhibit for them.

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Habig said one of her children, while having breakfast together at the restaurant, sparked the idea for her to seek a display there. She said she will be “a little sad” when she returns for breakfast at the Green Street Grill and no longer sees her paintings displayed. The work of a photographer is now on display.

Habig has been awarded for her work in shows including Longwood Gardens, Philadelphia Flower Shows, Chester County Art Association and more.

“I’m glad it’s a part of my life,” she said.

Her favorite part is the process of painting. She said it is a slow process while botanical illustrators concentrate on details. She enjoys painting at her leisure.

“I don’t care how long the journey takes,” Habig said, who paints about four flower paintings a year.

Habig is now working on her submissions for the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Habig began painting 17 years ago as a hobby, one that “keeps growing with you.”

She took classes at the age of 52 to study botanical illustration, after she retired from being a school nurse. She paints flowers by looking at a real plant. She said her concentration to paint occupies her thoughts.

“You get so lost in what you’re painting. It’s like you stepped in a different world,” Habig said. “You get really into it. You don’t think about what time it is or where you have to be.”

She said she was inspired by her teachers. Habig said the first one to believe in her was Joan Frain at Longwood Gardens; Louisa Rawle Tine at The Chanticleer Gardens taught the importance of accuracy of botanical; and Anne-Marie Evans in England taught people how to concentrate.

Habig paints at her farmhouse, a place where she said she can concentrate without life interruptions.

She enjoys painting individually and in a group of botanical illustrators. She said the artists share a camaraderie that is supportive. They even critique each other’s work, she said, and help by sharing techniques.

“You want to be able to see the details up close and personal,” Habig said, “And the image needs to look pleasing from a distance.”

While on her paintings were on display, Habig said she sold six of her paintings from the Green Street Grill.